As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, in spring 2020 numerous protective measures were taken in Germany and all over the world. This has changed our everyday life and our mobility considerably. It is in question whether and how the pandemic and the lockdown have impacted transport mode use, attitudes towards transport modes and the ownership of individual mobility options during the lockdown period. In order to shed light on these essential aspects of transport policy, we carried out a representative travel survey in Germany during the strictest period of lockdown in the beginning of April. We have analysed overall and individual changes in transport mode usage and attitudes towards transport modes, focussing on the bicycle, the car and public transport. Also, the changes in the perception of individual mobility options with a focus on car-free households were investigated. Our results indicate that public transport lost ground during the particularly restricted period of lockdown while individual modes of transport, especially the private car, became more important. Our findings are highly relevant for transport policy when developing measures for expanding the possibilities for sustainable individual transport and developing concepts that strengthen public transport. These aspects are key for achieving a sustainable transport system in the medium- and long-term despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Introduction The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a great impact on all areas of the everyday life, including travel behaviour. Various measures that focus on restricting social contacts have been implemented in order to reduce the spread of the virus. Understanding how daily activities and travel behaviour change during such global crisis and the reasons behind is crucial for developing suitable strategies for similar future events and analysing potential mid- and long-term impacts. Methods In order to provide empirical insights into changes in travel behaviour during the first Coronavirus-related lockdown in 2020 for Germany, an online survey with a relative representative sample for the German population was conducted a week after the start of the nationwide contact ban. The data was analysed performing descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results and Discussion The results suggest in general an increase in car use and decrease in public transport use as well as more negative perception of public transport as a transport alternative during the pandemic. Regarding activity-related travel patterns, the findings show firstly, that the majority of people go less frequent shopping; simultaneously, an increase in online shopping can be seen and characteristics of this group were analysed. Secondly, half of the adult population still left their home for leisure or to run errands; young adults were more active than all other age groups. Thirdly, the majority of the working population still went to work; one out of four people worked in home-office. Lastly, potential implications for travel behaviour and activity patterns as well as policy measures are discussed.

Bicycle usage is significantly affected by weather conditions. Climate change is, therefore, expected to have an impact on the volume of bicycle traffic, which is an important factor in the planning and design of bicycle infrastructures. To predict bicycle traffic in a changed climate in the city of Berlin, this paper compares a traditional statistical approach to three machine learning models. For this purpose, a cross-validation procedure is developed that evaluates model performance on the basis of prediction accuracy. XGBoost showed the best performance and is used for the prediction of bicycle counts. Our results indicate that we can expect an overall annual increase in bicycle traffic of 1–4% in the city of Berlin due to the changes in local weather conditions caused by global climate change. The biggest changes are expected to occur in the winter season with increases of 11–14% due to rising temperatures and only slight increases in precipitation.

Within the last decade, cargo bikes have gained growing attention from municipalities, practitioners, and researchers alike. Due to electrification and model diversification, this vehicle concept is thought to be both environment-friendly and a viable solution for the last-mile of freight transport in specific urban areas. While some branches of logistics, such as point-to-point courier shipments or meal deliveries might allow for a direct substitution of conventional vehicles by cargo bikes, there is a need for new delivery concepts, such as micro-depots, to deal with the prerequisites of the parcel market. This article introduces historic developments and recent characteristics of cargo bikes and their deployment for freight transport. Knowing the infrastructural particularities and experiences from "real life" applications helps understanding the potential and limitations of this type of commercial vehicle.

AbstractThis study assesses the feasibility of electric three-wheelers as moto-taxis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from a socioeconomic and technical point of view. The analysis is based on three pillars: (i) the acceptance of users (the moto-taxi drivers) for adoption, (ii) the vehicle specifications incl. battery type and size, and (iii) the role of the charging infrastructure. Findings are based on data from empirical field-work; methods used are qualitative and quantitative data analysis and modelling. Main findings include that moto-taxi drivers, who we see as most important adopters, are open towards electric mobility. They request however that vehicles should have similar driving characteristics than their current fuel-vehicles. As the market is very price sensitive, keeping the vehicle cost is of high importance. A high potential to lower these costs is seen by offering opportunity charging spots around the city. If such an infrastructure is being implemented the combination with suitable, cost competitive vehicles makes the transformation of the vehicle market towards electrification possible.

Ziel des Projektes DiVA ist es, einen grostmoglichen gesamtgesellschaftlichen Nutzen aus der Vernetzung und Automatisierung des (Strasen-)Verkehrs dadurch zu erschliesen, dass der Dialog mit relevanten Akteuren und Stakeholdern in der Gesellschaft auf eine solide wissenschaftliche Grundlage gestellt und inhaltlich sowie zeitlich strukturiert wird. Damit wird sichergestellt, dass die Umsetzung der Technik im Strasenverkehr dazu dient, dem Mobilitatsbedarf der Bevolkerung bestmoglich zu entsprechen, ein effizientes und nachhaltiges Verkehrssystem zu gestalten, neue Markte zu beschreiben und den Innovationsstandort Deutschland zu sichern und zu starken.

The paper analyses the role of publicly accessible single phase charging infrastructure with charging currents of 7 A, 10 A and 16 A in the low voltage grid for an economically viable transformation of the informal transport market of three-wheeler motorcycles in Dar es Salaam from fossil propulsion to battery electric drives. An intensive stakeholder process is conducted to analyse the socioeconomic boundary conditions for this transformation. GPS track data of 65 vehicles in four driver groups is collected for 8 days apiece. The data is analysed to study the driving demand of the informal transport market in Dar es Salaam. Our results show that the increased weight of lead acid batteries cannot be easily compensated for by installing additional charging opportunities. Coincidence factor analysis reveals, that sharing of opportunity charging infrastructure is possible without reduction of the service level. Li-ion batteries plus publically accessible charging infrastructure shows the potential for the transformation within the next 10-15 years.

The main premise of this chapter is that researchers, policy makers, and industry can learn a lot about the future adoption (and impact) of fully automated, self-driving vehicles by examining consumer acceptance, understanding, and trust of lower levels of automation (SAE Level 1 and Level 2). These are the levels of vehicle technology that exist on vehicles operating on public roads today. The willingness (or not) of consumers to purchase and use the lower levels of automation will serve as a mirror on their potential interests in higher levels. This chapter provides a synthesis of issues and recommendations that resulted from a breakout session at the 2019 Automated Vehicle Symposium (AVS) on this topic.

Um die Ausbreitung des Corona-Virus zu bremsen, wurden in Deutschland ab Marz 2020 zahlreiche Schutzmasnahmen ergriffen. Unser Alltag hat sich dadurch erheblich verandert. Neben den kurzfristigen Auswirkungen der Pandemie auf das Mobilitatsverhalten stellt sich Wissenschaft und Praxis die Frage nach den mittel- und langfristig Effekten. Eine reprasentative Panelbefragung des DLR Institut fur Verkehrsforschung zeigt: Wahrend der offentliche Verkehr an Boden verliert, nimmt die Bedeutung individueller Verkehrsmittel, insbesondere des privaten Pkw, zu.

Abstract Background The introduction of a carbon tax on passenger transport is currently being discussed in Germany. Various stakeholders favour a consumption-based, revenue-neutral carbon tax with a uniform lump-sum offset for private households and a tax rate of 40 € per ton of CO2. Objective In this study, we examine the distributional effects of carbon taxation for the German passenger transport sector under the assumption of the proposed tax model. We discuss as to what extent which socioeconomic groups would be burdened and who might even benefit from carbon taxation. To answer these questions we use a uniquely modelled data set that encompasses all forms of passenger transport (i.e. in Germany and abroad) of the German resident population over 1 year. The national household travel survey Mobility in Germany 2017 is the basis of the microscopic data set. We derive annual CO2 emissions and carbon tax burdens for various population groups using the data on passenger transport, as well as specific emission factors. Results Results show that low income households, retirees, single parents and family households with two or more children would benefit from the proposed carbon taxation scheme due to below-average emissions per person; in contrast, working age households without children and car owners with heavy car use would be burdened. Our results are of particular relevance to transport researchers, transport politicians and decision makers as a basis for designing, developing and introducing a carbon taxation scheme.

This chapter first defines and then explores the social sustainability potential of MM by providing an overview of MM implications for accessibility, air pollution, safety, physical activity and subjective wellbeing. Our results show that MM could enhance accessibility, yet costs, physical ability and technical skills might exclude certain social groups from using such modes. MM modes have no or limited direct CO2 emissions but environmental effects are uncertain if we account for the production of these modes. Road safety could be enhanced due to mutual awareness stimulation, but also compromised due to speed differential between MM and other modes. Physical activity could be increased or reduced depending on whether MM modes are electric or not. Exercising, enjoying the scenery, and having fun could enhance subjective well-being of MM mode users, while perceived safety risk could negatively influence subjective well-being. We conclude that MM sustainability potential should not be automatically assumed and could vary among the different MM modes.

This study analyses the feasibility of electric 3-wheeled motorcycle-taxis in Dar es Salaam from a technical and user-oriented point of view on the power train. Based on the experiences and expectations of an interviewed group of drivers, two electric power train variants for 3-wheeled vehicles have been set up and compared. In order to calculate the vehicle energy demand, a simulation model has been set up. This model uses a drive cycle that has been generated for the specific location of Dar es Salaam using GPS tracks recorded during a field trip. Results contain the vehicle battery weight, energy demand and range for varied battery capacities. Finally, a possible power train variant is suggested.